Lamp and lamp hood and connection for electric signs



W. L. LAIB April 8, 193 0.

LAMP AND LAMP HOOD AND CONNECTION FOR ELECTRIC SIGNS Filed Sept. 24; 1928 Patented Apr. 8, 193% PATENT OFFICE WILLIAM L. LAIB, OF (lAK PAR-K, ILLINOIS LAMP AND LAMP HOOD AND CONNECTION F OR ELECTRIC SIGNS Application filed. September 24, 1928. Serial No. 308,059.

This invention relates to lamps and lamp hoods for electric signs, or the like, and supporting and connecting means therefor.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a simple, economical and efficient connected lamp hood and lamp, and improved connecting and supporting means therefor; and more particularly, to provide an'improved electric sign having a series of releasably connected lamp hoods and lamps provided with or comprising improved connecting and supporting means for releasably connecting and securely supporting the lamp hoods and lamps in operative position relatively to each other and to the sign board or support.

A further object of the invention is to provide electric lamps and lamp hoods for electric signs with connecting and supporting means whereby the lamps and color hoods may be detachably connected and supported relatively to each other by the samesuppOrting means which serves to connect the lamps and hoods with the sign board of an electric sign, and to provide flexible connecting means between the lamp bulbs and hoods whereby the assembling of the parts is facilitated and the assembled structure is braced and strengthened.

will appear from the following description and claims, and from an inspection of the accompanying drawings which are made a part hereof. 1

The invention cons sts in the features, combinations, detalls of construction and arrangement of parts herein described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings- Figure 1 is a sectional view taken through the axial center of a lamp hoodand hoodsupporting device on or forming a part of an electric sign, with the enclosed lamp bulb shown in elevation and the lamp socket shown 5 partly in elevation and partly broken away and shown in section, and with the lamp hood and lamp socket secured to the sign board by the same securing means which connects the hood and lamp, in accordance with my invention, and shows the spring which is located Other and further objects of the invention within the hood and surrounds the lamp bulb and forms a releasable resilient connection between the lampbulb and hood;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the lamp and means for supporting and connecting the same together and with the sign board,taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1, and showing a part of a sign board having a series of such lamps and hoods thereon;

'Fig. 3 is a top view of one of the annular cup-shaped slotted hood-engaging and supporting members, for supporting the hood in position upon the sign-board of an electric 4 sign; and

Fig. 4 is a detail view in section taken on line Hot Fig. 2, and showing a part of one of the .annular cup-shaped hood-supporting members, and the means for supporting and connecting the same with a lamp socket and with the sign board or plate upon which the lamps and hoods are to be employed. In constructing an improved lamp hood and a lamp and electric sign provided there- With,in accordance with my invention, I provide one or more lamp hoods or color'hoods 1, each formed of glass which may be of any desired color, and each adapted to removably encircle and enclose a corresponding electric lamp bulb 2.

Each lamp bulb is provided with a metallic screw-threaded neck 3 which is adapted to be removably inserted in and detachably secured in screw-threaded engagement with a similarly screw-threaded metallic inner sleeve or annular socket member 4 of a lamp socket 5.

Each lamp socket 5 comprises in its construction a main socket body 6 which is formed of porcelain or other suitable insulating material, and hollowed out so as to provide a central axial opening or socket por- .tion 7 inwhich the inner threaded sleeve or socket member 4 is mounted and fixed to the socket body 6.

The socket body 6 is, by preference, cylin-' drical, and has an upwardly projecting annular end flange or rim 8 which surrounds the mouth of the opening 7 and the neck of the lamp bulb, and extends through suitable openings in the sign board or supporting 100 plate 15 and an annular metallic hood-supporting cup or cup-shaped member 17 which will be more fully hereinafter described.

Each lamp-socket body 6 is provided with a plurality of laterally projecting bosses or side lugs 9 which are formed in one integral piece with said socket body; and each of said bosses has a perforation 10 therein adapted to admit a headed securing screw 11. And a metallic screw-threaded sleeve or bushing 12 is, by preference fixed in said opening and in threaded engagement with the corresponding securing screw 11. The metallic screwthreaded members 12 may be in the form of threaded nuts mounted in corresponding recesses in orin fixed relation to the perforated bosses or flanges on the lamp socket. In the device shown in the drawings the nut or metallic bushing 12 has integral side arms 14 on opposite sides of and extending longitudinally of the securing screw and bent outward to form lateral projections adapted to prevent the turning of the boss or nut when the screw is turned. 7 The sign board plate 15 is provided with an opening 16 for each lamp, through which the inner flanged end 8 of the corresponding lamp socket extends. The upper or inner surfaces of the laterally projecting perforated bosses 9 engage the adjacent flat surface of the sign board or supporting plate on the opposite side of which the-lamp hoods and their annular cup-shaped metallic supporting members 17 are located. (See Fig. 1.)

I provide an annular hood-supporting cup or flanged socket member 17 for each lamp hood 1. Each of these hood-supporting cupshaped members 17 has an annularbottom 18 which is provided with a central opening 19 that registers with a corresponding opening 16 in the sign board or plate 15. The openings 16 and 19 are adapted to admit the proecting end flange 8 of the lamp socket, which,

- by preference, projects through said openings. An angular slot 20 in the bottom 18 of the cup-shaped hood supporting member 17 opens into the central opening 19 in said bottom; and directly opposite the angular slot 20 is an openinglB having an enlarged end portion 13' adapted to admit the head of a securing screw, such as the screw 11, said slot having a relatively small portion leading from the enlarged slot portion 13 circumferentially of the annular bottom and adapted to admit the neck or body of the securing screw, and to prevent the head of the screw from passing through said relatively narrow slot portion. The slot 20 has asimilar narrow angular slot portion 20 which opens into a radially disposed portion of said slot 20,

; so as to admit the neck or body of the corresponding screw 11 into said angular slot from the central opening'19 and into the circumferentially elongated angular portion 20 of said slot, but prevent the head of the screw from escaping through said slot. The slots or openings 13 and 20 are thus adapted to admit the necks or body portions of the screws 11 into the circumferentially elongated portions of said openings when the annular metallic cup-shaped hood-supporting member 17 is placed in position to admit the screws into said openings and then turned on its axis sufliciently to cause the screws to enter the circumferentially elongated narrow portions of said slots or openings with the heads of the screws projecting over the margins of the slots so as to securely hold the cup-sh aped hood-supporting member detachably in rigid operative position on one side rigid detachable engagement with the opposite side of said sign-board plate 15.

Each metallic annular cup-shaped hoodsupporting member 17 has an annular flange or rim 21, the upper inner face of which 1s provided with inner screw threads or segmental inner helical screw-thread port-ions 22 which are adapted to be screwed into screwthreaded supporting engagement with the outer exterior-1y screw-threaded marginal portion or rim 23 of the lamp hood 1 which is to be mounted in and supported by said cupshaped hood-supporting member 17.

Each cup-shaped hood-supporting member 17, located on one side of the sign-board plate, and corresponding connected lamp socket 5, located on the opposite side of the sign-board plate, and the securing screws 11 which are anchored in the lamp socket and extend through the sign-board plate and through the bottom of the engaged cupshaped hood-supporting member 17 thus v and cup-shaped hood-supporting members 17 in proper. position with respect to each other, with the hood-supporting member 17 in detachable supporting engagement with the lamp hood.

The lamp hood 1 is, by preference, made of colored glass and is of such dimensions as to encircle and cover the lamp bulb, and provide an annular space between the hood and lamp bulb. Near its open end, the glass hood has an inner'annular groove 24 formed. on the inside of a circumferential head which encircles the hood and projects outward adjacent to the exteriorly screw-threaded or segmentally threaded portion 23 at the open end or threaded rim of the hood.

This circumfer- 'ential bead 25 is thus adapted to engage the top margin or rim of the flange 21 of the cup shaped metallic hood-supporting member 17 when the latter and said hood are secured together by screwing the open end of one of said members into the other. The bead thus serves to limit the distance which the exteriorly threaded memberin this instance, the hoode:rtends into the interiorly threaded or outer rim of the outer flanged or receiving member, which, in this case is, by preference, the metallic hood-supporting member 17.

Mounted in position to extend between the hood 1 and the lamp bulb to be covered thereby, and, by preference supported in the inner groove or recess 24 in the lamp hood and in position to yieldingly and detachably engage the periphery of the lamp'bulb when the hood and bulb are in position for use, is a resilient element or spring device 26, a very desirable and elficient form of which is constructed as shown in the accompanying drawings. Said spring-device 26 consists of or comprises, by preference, a wire or strip of spring metal or equivalent resilient material mounted in the groove or recess 24 in the glass hood and having a series of inwardly projecting resilient spring arms 27, the inner ends of which are adapted to detachably engage and to be moved or adjusted lengthwise of the lamp bulb along with the glass hood in the operation of assembling the parts, and

particularly in the operation of mounting the 1 hood upon and securmg it to the hood-sup.

porting member 17. The spring arms 27 are, by preference, formedin one integral piece and have their bases located outward beyond their inner bulb-engaging ends and connected by the outer annular or integral main body portion 28 which, with the'inwardly projecting arms 27, forms an annular spring device adapted to detachably engage the bulb, and support and guide the hood in the operation of assembling the parts and mounting'the hood in operative position. The spring device thus formed also serves as a bracing and strengthening means between the hood and lamp bulb; and the spring is supported indirectly by the rigid cup-shaped hood supporting member, the bases of the spring arms 27 being located close to and just inside of the rim of the member 17, and the annular rim or marginal portion of the open end of the hood being interposed between the bases of the spring arms and said rim of the rigid cup-shaped hood supporting member 17.

The spring arms 27 are, by preference, in

the form of approximately U-shaped loops formed of spring wire bent to form the complete spring device in one piece comprising the spring arms or loops 2'? the outer cuts or bases of whlch are connected in one lntegral piece with and by means of the connect- 7 in the annular groove 24 in the glass hood. The annular main body portion 28 of the spring'device 26 thus comprises a series of segmental but integralparts located in the annular groove 24 and connected with and forming a connection between the said spring arms or loops 27 each of which, by preference, extends inward andat an incline between the hood and lamp bulb. In other words, the springarms or loops 27 extend inward from their bases and fromthe annular groove at the open end of the hood, and toward the axial center and closed end of the lamp hood and into position to cause the inner extremitiesof'said spring arms or loops to detachably engage the periphery of the lamp bulb at the tapered peripheral surface portion of the latter and between the largest transverse axis 0f the bulb and the neck of the bulb and mouth ofthe hood, so that the spring device tends to press the hood outward and toward the neck or base of the lamp bulb and toward the hood-engaging rim of the cup-shaped hood-supporting member 17.

Each lamp. is, of course, provided with the usual incandescent filament 29 having the usual electric terminals-not shownadapted to be electrically connected with the usual terminals 30 and 31 ill-the lamp socket5, said terminals being adapted for connection with an electric circuit and source of electric supply, by suitable electric wires 32 and33 forming a part of such circuit.

It should be noted that in assembling the parts, the cup-shaped hood-supporting membe 17 and the lamp hood 1 are both turned I in the same direction, namely clock-wise, thus causing the headed screws to engage the relatively narrow elongated portions of the bayo-' net slots in the bottom of the hood-support- V ing member and tightening the screw-threaded engagement between the hood and said hood-supporting member which are rigidly secured together 1n bulb-enclosing posltion, excludlng all foreign substances and pro- ;tecting the enclosed lamp bulb. The resilient element or spring device 26 is in rigid en.- gagement wlth the lnner circumferentially grooved rim port1on of the glass hood; and

its inwardly extending spring arms 27 are.

held at a tension in tight clamping engagement with the hood-encircled peripheralsurface portion of the lamp bulb on opposite sides of the longitudinal axis of the bulb. The resilient element thus serves as a means for bracing the hoodand bulb relatively to each other, and tends to hold the hood against rotation relatively to the cup-shaped hoodsupportingmember and lamp bulb, and to hold the hood-supporting member against rotation when the device is in operation. The device is thus adapted'to be assembled and disassembled with facility, and the parts are securely held, in operative position and prevented from becoming loosened.

the same in engagement with a hood-encircled peripheral portion of such lamp bulb, and adapted to resist the rotation of the hood and hood-encircled lamp bulb relatively to each other.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination of a glass lamp hood having an annular rim adapted to encircle a lamp bulb,

a metallic cup-shaped hood-supporting member having an annular rim in engagement with the annular rim of said hood, means for connecting the engaged rims of sa1dhoodsupporting member and hood, and a resilient element on the inside of and supported by said hood and having inwardly extending spring arms in engagement with the hood-em circled peripheral portions of such lamp bulb,.and adapted to brace and resist the rotation of the hoodand lamp bulb relatively to each other. r

3. In a device of the class described, the combination of an electric lamp comprising a lamp bulb and a lamp socket in engagement with said bulb, a glass lamp hood having a screw-threaded annular rim adapted to encircle said bulb, a metallic cup-shaped hoodsupporting member having an annular screwthreaded rim in screw-threaded engagement and State of Illinois th s 8th day of Septemwith the annular rim oi said hood, resilient means attached to the inner side of said hood and having inwardly extending spring arms in frictional engagement with the periphery of the lamp bulb, and adapted to resist the rotation of the hood relatively to said cupshaped hood-supporting member and lamp bulb, and means for supporting said hoodsupporting member and lamp socket in operative position.

4. In a device of the class described, the combination of an electric lamp comprising a lamp bulb and a lamp socket in engagement with said bulb, a glass lamp hood having an annular rim adapted to encircle said lamp bulb, a cup-shaped hood-supporting member having an annular'rim in engagement with the annular rim of said hood, means for securing said cup-shaped hood-supporting member and hood together in bulb-enclosing position, resilient means attached to the inner side of said hood and having inwardly extending spring arms adapted to engage the periphery of the lamp bulb, and adapted to brace and tend to hold the hood in braced operative position relatively to the hood-supporting member and lamp bulb, a socket-supporting member having an opening therein through which said socket extends, and securing means on said lamp socket and in engagement with said cup-shaped hood-supporting member and adapted to secure said hood-supporting memberand lamp socket in rigid engagement with oppositesides of said socketsupporting member.

5. In a device of the class described, the combination of an electric lamp comprising a lamp bulb and a lampsocket in engagement with said bulb, a glass lamp hood having an annular rim adapted to encircle said lamp bulb, a cup-shaped hood supporting member having an annular rim in supporting engagement with the rim ofsaid hood, means for securing said cup-shaped hood-supporting member and hood together in bulb-enclosing position, resilient means attached to the inner side of said hood and having inwardly extending spring arms in engagement with the periphery of the lamp bulb on opposite sides of the axis of the bulb, and adapted to brace and resist the rotation of the hood relatively to the lamp bulb, a lamp-supporting signboard member extending between said lamp socket and said cup-shaped hood-supporting member and having an opening therein through which said lamp socket extends, and screw-threaded securing means in threaded engagement with the lamp'socket and extending through openings in the bottom of said cup-shaped hood-supporting member and adapted to secure said lamp socket and hoodsupporting member in rigid engagement with opposite sides of saidlamp-supporting signboard member. i

Signed at Chicago, inthe county of Cook ber,1928.

WILLIAM L. LAIB. 

